The information below is taken from
the Dictionary of American Naval
Aviation Squadrons,
Volume 2,
Chapter 3, Patrol Squadron Histories. http://www.history.navy.mil/avh-vol2/chap3-1.pdf
This is the official history of the second VP2, a direct descendant of
Bombing Squadron 130 (VB130) flying PV-1s. A link to an
abbreviated narrative format history is at the bottom of this page.

The first Navy
aircraft squadron to carry the designation of Patrol Squadron TWO
descended from Patrol Squadron TEN, established in 1924. http://www.history.navy.mil/avh-vol2/chap4-5.pdfI remember meeting
a man at the 1986 reunion who had served in VP2 in the
1930's. As of Jun 2004, we have one member who served in VP2
flying PM-2s in 1934-36 out of Coco Solo, Panama. The history of
the first VP2 is here.

A page dedicated to
those known to have lost their lives
while serving in Patrol Squadron Two and its predecessors is here. nvsoar 18Jun2004

Second
VP-2

LineageEstablished
as Bombing Squadron ONE HUNDRED THIRTY (VB-130) on 1 March
1943.
Redesignated Patrol Bombing Squadron ONE HUNDRED THIRTY (VPB-130) on 1
October
1944.
Redesignated Patrol Squadron ONE HUNDRED THIRTY (VP-130) on 15 May
1946.
Redesignated Medium Patrol Squadron (Landplane) TWO (VP-ML-2) on 15
November 1946.
Redesignated Patrol Squadron TWO (VP-2) on 1 September 1948, the second squadron to be assigned the VP-2
designation.
Disestablished on 30 September 1969.

Squadron Insignia
and Nickname

VB-130 was
established at Deland, Fla., on 1 March 1943, but it was not until after the squadron had
been redesignated VPB-130 that any record of a squadron insignia was
found. The first insignia, approved by CNO on 8
November 1945,
superimposed a clock face with a bomb for the hour hand and rocket for
the minute hand set at one thirty, on a silhouette of a PV-1 Ventura aircraft
with a starlit sky as background.The
design symbolized the round the clock bombing and rocket operations
capability of the squadron’s first aircraft, the PV-1 Ventura.The field was royal blue; stars, white;
aircraft, light gray with black markings; clock, white; numerals,
black; and clock hands, red.VPB-130 was
redesignated VP-130, then VPML- 2, and transitioned from the PV-2
Harpoon to the P2V Neptune patrol bomber.In
keeping
with the redesignations, transition to a new aircraft, and reassignment
of
basic mission to antisubmarine warfare, a new squadron insignia was
deemed
appropriate. The new design, approved by CNO on 10 June
1947, presented a
cartoon King Neptune riding a rocket, against a starry sky and globe
background.In Neptune’s hand was a trident with cannon barrels in
place of tines. The background of the globe represented the long-range
capability of the P2V Neptune.The night
sky denoted around-the-clock flying and King Neptune symbolized the sea
and squadron’s aircraft.The rocket was
incorporated into the insignia to
show the fast punch of Neptune’s armament.The
trident with multiple gun barrels denoted the aircraft’s multiple
firepower.Colors: stars, white; sky, dark
blue; water, light blue; continents, white; rocket, light gray;King Neptune’s belt, blue; pants, red; beard,
white; crown and trident, yellow; nose, red; body, pink; and guns, gray.The cartoon King Neptune insignia was adopted
by the squadron after its redesignation from VP-ML-2 to VP-2, and
remained in use until 1 October
1956.At that time, CNO directed the squadron to come up with a new
design
“. . . in keeping with the dignity of the naval service, [as] cartoon
portrayals
are not authorized in Naval Aviation Insignia . . . ”The resulting modification of the squadron insignia portrayed a
less
stylized King Neptune inside a blue disk with white border, Neptune
white-haired
and bearded, crowned yellow, and clothed in flowing red toga.The right arm extended forward, the left hand
grasping
a yellow trident, Neptune was astride a black torpedo, colored white,
above the top portion of a blue globe were longitude and latitude lines
outlined in white.In an arc at the top of
the shield
there were three white stars, two above the extended arm and one behind
the
figure.The inscription PATROL SQUADRON
TWO was
on a blue scroll in white capital letters.This
design was approved by CNO on 28 February 1957 and remained in effect until the squadron’s
disestablishment in 1969.

Nickname:
Unknown.

Chronology of Significant
Events

3 Mar 1943: VB-130
was established at Deland, Fla.Organization
and training of squadron personnel took place over the next two and a
half months, followed on 17 May 1943 by shake-down training flying the PV-1
Ventura at Boca
Chica, Fla.

7 Jun 1943: The
squadron deployed to San Juan, P.R., to provide convoy protection and ASW
in Caribbean waters.On 16 June
1943, the squadron was
relocated to Edinburgh Field, Trinidad, to continue convoy protection and
antisubmarine atrols.

6 Aug 1943: Lieutenant
Holmes and his crew sank the German submarine, U-615, commanded
by Kaptainleutnant Ralph Kapitzky.The
submarine was caught on the surface in the Caribbean southeast of Curacao and damaged badly enough by the bombs to
prevent it from submerging.Unable to
escape, the German crew scuttled the vessel.Forty-five
of the Uboat’s crew of 49 were rescued by U.S. Navy vessels.

12–27
Aug 1943: The squadron moved
to Recife, Brazil, where it remained until 27
August
1943, when it was
shifted
again to Pici Field, Fortaleza.Antisubmarine
patrols and convoy coverage were the primary activities of the squadron
during the next eight months.

30 April 1944: VB-130
was relieved by VB-134 and returned to NAS Norfolk, Va. for home leave.

3 Jun 1944: The
squadron was reequipped with rocket launchers.Ground
attack training using rockets took place over the next 30 days.

10 Oct 1944: VPB-130
transferred to Ponam on ManusIsland.Training
continued along with operational ASW and antishipping patrols.

1 Nov 1944: VPB-130
began transferring its assets and personnel to Tacloban in the
Philippine Islands, via OwiIsland, Peleliu, Palau and Morotai. Squadron aircraft arrived on 6
November 1944, and
were placed under the tactical control of the 308th Bomb Wing of the
Army 5th Air Force.Through April 1945,
the squadron undertook a variety of missions in conjunction with 13th
Army Air Force operations.Detachments
operating from Morotai and OwiIsland conducted 300 to 600-mile sector searches.The remainder of the squadron at Tacloban
conducted 1,000-mile sector searches.Numerous
attacks
were made on Japanese island installations, radar sites, airfields and
small
ships.

24 Apr 1945: VPB-130
transferred to ManusIsland, where all personnel boarded Kadashan
Bay (CVE 76) on 1 May 1945 for return to the continental United States, where home leave was given to all hands.

29 Sep 1946: The
“Truculent Turtle,” the squadron’s first P2V-1 Neptune land-based
patrol bomber, flew from Perth, Australia, to Columbus, Ohio, a distance of 11,236 miles in 55 hours and
18 minutes.The aircraft (bureau number
89082) was manned by Commanders Thomas D. Davies, Eugene P. Rankin,
Walter S. Reid
and Lieutenant Commander Roy H. Tabeling.The
flight was nonstop, without refueling, establishing a world record for
nonstop
flight.When the aircraft was taken out of
service
years later, it was placed on display at NAS Norfolk, Va.This historic aircraft is now on display at the National Museum
of
Naval Aviation, Pensacola, Fla.

March
1947: VP-ML-2 began
receiving the rest of its compliment of P2V-1 Neptunes from Lockheed
Aircraft Company, Burbank, Calif.These
replacements for the PV-2 Harpoons marked the beginning of an intense
period of training for all squadron personnel in antisubmarine warfare.

1 Aug 1951: A
detachment of VP-2 flying P2V-3Ws deployed to NAF Naha, Okinawa, to patrol the East China Sea and Yellow Sea in the Korean theater of operations.The detachment remained in the combat zone
until
December 1951, this was squadron’s first and last involvement in the
Korean
War.

1 Sep 1951: VP-2
became the first squadron to receive the new P2V-4 with the Wright Aero
R-3350W compound-turbo engine.Testing of
the
new engines was performed onsite at NAS Whidbey Island, Wash., without
missing
deployments. Detachments during this period were assigned to NAS
Kodiak,
Alaska, and Naha, Okinawa.The Naha
Detachment remained until 2 December 1951, flying several combat missions in support
of
the UN action in Korea.

9 Apr 1954: A
Neptune from VP-2 was attacked by a Chinese MiG-15
while on patrol over the Yellow Sea.The MiG made
three firing passes and the crew of the Neptune returned fire.There
was no apparent damage to either aircraft resulting from the encounter.

30 Nov 1964: VP-2
took first place among the Pacific Fleet squadrons in bombing, mining
and rocket competition despite instrument flying conditions during 90
percent of the competition period.

25 Jan 1965: VP-2
relieved VP-6 for a six-month deployment at Iwakuni, Japan.Squadron
detachments were assigned to Naha, Okinawa; Sangley Point, R.P.; Taiwan, Formosa; Bangkok, Thailand; and Da Nang and Saigon, RVN.The last
three months of the squadron’s WestPac tour was conducted at Tan Son
Nhut Air Base, Saigon, RVN—the squadron’s first tour in a combat zone
since World War II.

1 Apr 1966: VP-2
relieved VP-42 for a six-month WestPac deployment at Iwakuni, Japan.Four months of
the tour were spent at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Saigon, RVN.

1 Oct 1967: VP-2
deployed to WestPac with half of the squadron at NS Sangley Point,
R.P., and a six-aircraft detachment at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Saigon, RVN.The
detachment at Ton Son Nhut moved a few weeks later to CamRahnBay, RVN.

17 Feb 1969: The
squadron conducted its last deployment, its fourth to the Vietnam theater of operations, based at NS Sangley
Point, R.P.

* The squadron remained deployed overseas, but
moved to a new operating base during the deployment.
** The squadron conducted split deployment to two sites during the same
dates.

Wing Assignments

Wing

Tail
Code

Assignment
Date

FAW-11

16
Jun 1943

FAW-16

27
Aug 1943

FAW-5

30
Apr 1944

FAW-2

13
Aug 1944

FAW-10/17;
30th Bomb. Wing, Army 5th Air Force

1
Nov 1944

FAW-14

25
Apr 1945

FAW-4

SB*

31
Aug 1945

FAW-14

SB

Mar
1947

FAW-4

SB/
YC**

1953

*
The squadron remained part of FAW-4 but was assigned thetail code SB on
7 November
1946.** The squadron’s tail code was changed from SB to YC in
1957. The effective date for this changewas most likely
the beginning of FY 1958 (1 July 1957).